Machine gun



Sept. 28, 1943. s, E 2,330,362

MACHINE GUN Filed Aug. 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Sept. 28, 1943. s. B. HOWE MACHINE GUN Filed Aug. 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 K M w a g w fl 0 w M W 1 y w R WM, .4 v Z W w ,x W M I/ V fi a r NEYS control device '20 between the positions of the sprocket roller 32 and the idler roller 38. Preferably, the deflector plates 42 will be curved at their inner surface portions as illustrated to provide smooth guiding action with respect to v the cartridge belt. v

' At its opposite end portions the sprocket roller shaft 35 is extended beyond the corresponding side plate portions 25-29 so as to carry thereon a pair of friction drums 44-45. The drums 44-44 are pinned to the shaft 35 as at 45 (Fig. 4),

gagementfof, the cartridge belt with the sprocket roller 32 causes the drums 44- 14 to rotate. 'A friction band 45 is arranged adjacent the periph cry of eachof the drumsM-M for releasable frictional 3 engagement therewith. The bands 46-45 are similarly mounted at corresponding end portions upon pins 48-48 extendingfrom the bracket portion of the device, and are locked thereonby cotter pins 49-49. At their opposite ends the bands 46-46 are similarl mounted by means of pins 50-155 extending transvers'ely through opposite side wall portions 52-52 of a 'bell crank member 54 which is pivotally hung upon corresponding extending opposite e'nd'por tions 56, of the shaft 39. Thus, the bellcranks 54-54 'are free'to oscillate about the aXis'of the shaft 39 to alternately increase and decrease thedegree of frictional engagementbetw'eenthe bands 33-46 A lever fill is frely pivoted up'on each e$terid ing end portion 5t 'oftheshaft 39 between'thepositions of the spaced side wall portions 52-5 2 of' the corresponding bell crank members'jand the levers 69-60 are'arrange'dto'extend-down:

wardly' between corresponding spaced abutment portions 62-54 of each of the bell cranks54-54,'f

andto carr'y' attheir lower ends a transverse shaft fifiiupo n which is'ro'tatably] mounted fan,

idler roller 68 so formed as tobe adapted to rotatably engage the cartridge belt I5as it moves through the controldevice'. Deflector ages; 69..

are preferably carried at opposite ends 'o'f'ithe roller'6 8' to, smoothly guidethecartridges of the, cartridge belt I5 asfit passes through the devicef The abutment portions 62-64 of the bell crank members 54-54 are so relatively positioned and the levers 60-60 are soformed and arranged as to dispose the idler roller 68 substantially in line with the sprocket roller 32 and the gun, guide roller I8 when" the cartridge belt I5 is taut between the positions of the sprocket 32 v and the guide roll I8; and the friction bands 46-46 are so arranged that under such conditions thereis no substantial frictional engagement between the bands and the drums'AA-M.

and the] corresponding orum thereby freed to pivot downwardly under the influences of gravity in such manner as to rotate the bell crank members 54-54 counterclockwise as viewed in Figs. '1 and 2. Thus, the bands 46-46 are caused to be tightened against the drums 44-44 to provide frictional resistance to relative movement therebetween. Therefore, in

response to any slackening of the belt between the positions of the control device 20 and the gun It, the control device 20 will automatically operate'to slacken thespeed' of belt movement through the control device 20 until suchtime as the gun operation requires an increase of cartridge belt feeding speed, whereupon the cartridge belt will tighten and actuate the bell crank "roller-68 to elevated or frictional release position whereby the'cartridge belt I5 will be freed to move at increased speed'downwardly from the magazine into the gun. Thus, the control device 261 automatically. functions to control the cartridge belt in' complete accord with the feeding and thus uponmovement of the cartridge belt Z equirements of the I5 through the controldevice 20 the geared en-I Coil springs Ill-l5 are preferably mounted in connection with each of the. levers 16-7-60 for assisting the operation of, the forces of gravity in connection with actuation ofthe bell cranks 54-54 to friction-band tightening condition. As illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4, the coil springs. 1.6 are provided. with looped end portions "t2; engaging about pinsv T4 extending from corresponding of the sideplate members 29-25,and from thence the spring ;members engage at their looped central portions about the shaft '39, and terminate at their opposite ends in turned finger portions arranged to abut against the corresponding levers 66-60, below the shaft 39, as. illustrated in Fig.

i 2. Thus, the. springs IO-I0 operate at alltimes However, it will be understood that upon slackene ing of that portion of the cartridge belt which extends between the, positions of the sprocket, roller 32 and the gun guide roll I8, theidler roller 68 and 'its supporting lever mechanisinwill be nism braking action. 4

to urge the levers 60-511 to rotateabout the shaft 33 in a counterclockwise direction asviewed in Fig. 2, for tightening of :the friction bands 46-46 the control device to brake the movement'of the cartridge belt I5 out of the magazine -M in accord with the purpose ofthe'invention asfexplained hereinabove, andthat the springs'IO-l'fl will be, adapted to:be.o'v.ercome by the forces'imposed upon the idler roller 69 upon tightening of the cartridge belt'i5, for. release of the mecha- The abutment portions 62-64 of the respective bell crank Y members a 54-54. are relatively spaced so as to, engage thei correspon'ding lever members 60, loosely in the manner of:l0st -mtion connection device; and: a set screwil5 is threaded to *exten'd through each of -the-abutment -'portiens 64-64 to engage at their inner ends againstcorresponding of the leVers-BIJ-SU for altering the angular dispositions =of the -corresponding 'bell crank and-levermembers and to regulate the amount of lost motion space therebetween. Thus, it will be, understood that adjustments may be readily made of the ti'rning ofinitial movements of the levers-13El r'elative to the bell cranks 54in connection with the cartridge belt regulatihgoperation of the mechanism,whereby fine adjustments of the 'operatio'n ofthe mechanism may be provided to. suit different "conditions of "operation.

It will 'bej' appreci'a'ted that a particularly important feature and advantage'o'f the invention resides in the fact that the control device" 20 is freely rotatable as a -'unit about 47 the 'ax'is' of its mounting shaft 24, whereby -as swivel'e'd' relative tojits supportingbase in con-- idler roller carried by said lever and engaging said cartridge belt between the positions of said sprocket and said gun, said lever meansconnecta ing said idler roller and said brake bandfmeans, for releasing the latter upon tightening of said cartridge belt and for actuating said brake band means tobraking condition upon slackening of said cartridge belt.

8. In combination, a gun IllOllIltEdfllDO-l a'support, a cartridge belt feeding into said gun,'and

a belt feed control device includinga bracket pivotally mounted upon said support ata posi-,

tion spaced from said gun, a sprocket rotatably engaging said cartridge belt between the [pOSi-.

tions of said sprocket and said gun, lever means connecting said idler roller and said brake band means for releasing the latter upon tightening ofsaid cartridge belt and for actuating said brake band means to braking condition upon slackening ofsaid cartridge belt, and spring means associated with said lever means for urging the latter to move said idler roller against saidcartridge belt.

9. In combination, a machine gun, an ammunition magazine spacedfrom said machine: gun, a cartridge belt training from said magazine into said 'machine gun in'response to pulling forces thereon and normally tautened by said pulling forces, a control member geared to said cartridge belt at a position intermediately of said magazine and-said gun and adapted to be moved'in accord, with movement of said cartridge 'belt fromsaid magazine, brake means associated with said control member, idler means adapted to bear against said car'tridge belt, and lever means connected to said brake means and said idler means and adapted tobe actuated by the latter upon slackening 'of said cartridge belt to brake the movement of said "control member whereby to brake themovement of said cartridge belt from said magazine toward said gun, said lever means comprising a pair of members connected respectively'to 'saididler means and said brake means and interconnected b'y 'means of a lost motion connection device to provide regulated response to alternate tightening and slackening of said cartridge be1t.

10. In combination, a machine gun, an ammunition magazine spaced from said machine gun, avcartridge belt training from said magazine into said machine gun in response to pulling forces thereon and normally tautened by said, pulling forces, a sprocket'member geared to said cartridge belt at aposition intermediately of said magazine and said gun and adapted to be r0 tatedin accord with movement of said cartridge belt from said magazine, brake band means'associated with said sprocket, idler means bearing against aid cartridge belt, and lever means comprising a 10st motion connection between Saididler means and said brake band means and adapted to be laggingly actuated upon alternate slackening and tightening ofsaid cartridge belt to brake the movement of said sprocketmemb'er and to release the latter whereby to'control the move ment of said cartridge belt from said magazine toward said gun.

SMITH B. HoWE. 

